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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. degree — an amount
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. degree — temperature
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. band — a ring
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pitch — completely
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. saw — the tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com